12.23.2010

Merry Christmas



Michael and I are off to Pennsylvania for a week of spending time with family and friends. We want to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and best wishes for a happy new year!


12.22.2010

Last Minute Wrapping Suggestions

If you're like most of my family (don't take offense Mom, just stating a fact ;) you probably haven't even started to think about wrapping Christmas gifts yet.

I found some great inspirational photos to help make your packages stand out under the Christmas tree!


This package uses tape and paper straws to dress up plain brown kraft paper.


Use newspaper to create a flower and act as wrapping paper.


Do you have any old sheet music laying around? Use it, some bells and satin ribbon and you'll have a festive gift in no time!


How about an old or even new shirt to wrap a gift box?


Every year I choose a color scheme and wrap all of our presents using just a few colors. This year I used mostly gold. It keeps in very simple, when buying wrapping paper, ribbon and any other embellishments I use to decorate the package.

Here are our presents wrapped and ready to be given to family and friends.





The only exception is for Mike's little cousins. I will buy fun wrapping paper for them. This year I made a tower of gifts, held together by ribbon.



They are so cute...I wish someone would give me a tower of presents. :)


Happy Wrapping!

12.21.2010

Eclipse

So did you either stay up or get up out of bed to see the eclipse last night? Me neither.

But I did go out and take some pictures of the moon before I went to bed.....




Christmas Round One

The Saturday afternoon before our holiday party, Michael and I made a trek up to Pennsylvania to visit with Mom's family and exchange gifts. It's always great to see everyone, even if it is a hectic few hours. Of course, Miss Amanda, had to get family pictures and here are the best ones we got.




Here's my Nana and her 2nd great grandchild.


And I love this picture of Amanda orchestrating the whole picture taking extravaganza!



We survived our first round of Christmas....only a few more to go!

12.20.2010

Cookies Galore!!

What better way is there to celebrate Christmas than decorations, cooking baking and friends and family visiting?

I made the decision in November to combine all of these things....it turned into what I hope is our 1st annual Christmas cocktail party. I baked for two straight weeks, decorated like crazy and celebrated with friends and family last night.

Let's start with the cookie baking, shall we?


The kitchen counters were scattered with blue and white snowflakes,



Raspberry shortbread,



which were packaged and sent home with our guests.



I also made snicker doodles, chocolate chip cookies, peanut butter chip cookies, peanut butter cup cookies and jam thumbprints


And just because I'm thrilled with how my snowflake cookies turned out, here are some more pictures. :)



I'll let the house decorations speak for themselves. 









 



   







And of course, here are the obligated night time shots.






When the party started, I put down my camera and enjoyed the moments laughing, telling stories and make memories with family and friends! After all, that's what this season is all about right?


Merry Christmas!


12.13.2010

Christmas in NYC

I have always loved going to New York City in December. I know everyone says New York at Christmas is magical, but the holidays just aren't the same for me without a trip there. It doesn't matter how bad my mood is when I get there (usually because we leave before the sun rises), but by the time I leave, I'm ready to decorate the entire house, bake tons of cookies and wrap a million gifts.

Last Sunday (yes I know this post is way over due...sorry about that), I went on a bus trip with my Mom's Relay for Life team, The Dragonflies. I invited Christina along for the adventure. I'm not sure she knew what she was getting herself into when she agreed to go. She was waiting for me to get to the bus with our bagels for breakfast and Mike's Aunt Barbara asked if she was a loner. (Sorry Christina!!)


We got to NYC around 9:30 and made our way over to Saint Patrick's Cathedral for their full choir mass. Of course we stopped along the way to take some fun pictures.







(I'll take one of everything here for Christmas Michael :)



The mass experience was beyond words. The service was incredible and being surrounded by all the great architure was breathtaking.









After mass, we went and found Christina's patron saint, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton. We both lit a candle, and took a moment to say a prayer.



Lunch was next on the agenda. We thought about eating at The Sea Grill, but the prices were a little more than we bargained for. But we stumbled upon this great little eatery, 'wichcraft.




It was a great lunch and would defineitly recommend it if you're ever in Rockefeller Center. Just go down to the concourse. You won't be able to miss it.

After lunch we walked to Macys, stopping to look at some of the window displays on the way,



and the Empire State Building 









We finished the day by walking up 5th Avenue.



Cartier

Fendi

Harry Winston

We made a stop at Tiffany & Co, 




Where I got a little blue bag and box for myself!




Of course no trip to NYC would be complete without seeing,

The Apple Store,


The Plaza,


Central Park,


a bunch of Santas on Bikes!



And Time Square at night.



It was a great day of family, friends and shopping. Can't wait until next year!





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